Brink Literacy Project FY2022 filing

Tax-deductible

Elbert, CO501(c)(3)Arts & CultureEIN 45-2793438Revenue $144K in FY2022

On file with the IRSbrinklit.org13999 County Road 102, 80106-9102 · Elbert, COTax-exempt since Sep 2012Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Brink Literacy Project is devoted to utilizing the power of storytelling to positively affect the lives of people on the Brink. Through our education, community, and publishing divisions, our nonprofit works worldwide to foster a love of literature, increase Literacy rates, and use storytelling to empower underserved communities. Our education division delivers innovative Literacy and storytelling programs with a focus on increasing Literacy rates and assisting personal development through storytelling. We have a strong focus on bringing our initiatives to low-income, low-Literacy, and marginalized communities, whether that means teaching in prisons or creating completely original curricula to tackle low reading proficiency in our youth. Through our community division, Brink forges partnerships with universities and other humanitarian and literary organizations. As a global community of readers, writers, artists, students, and supporters, Brink brings people from diverse backgrounds to

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
50¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$106K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2022 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $168K a year · 23% of revenue · last 4 filings
Fine: a surplus in 3 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
50%
of spending
Concern: 50% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$106K
to officers and key staff · 21% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 21% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $240K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$311K
50% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 50% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$144K
-81% vs prior year
Spent
$508K
To programs
50%
Net assets
$312K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$144K
FY2022▼ -81%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$187K
FY2021$747K
FY2022$144K
FY2023$654K
FY2024$1.3M
Expenses
$508K
FY2022▲ +267%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021$138K
FY2022$508K
FY2023$624K
FY2024$927K
Net assets
$312K
FY2022▼ -55%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$86K
FY2021$698K
FY2022$312K
FY2023$493K
FY2024$887K

From the FY2022 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Sep 2012.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

50 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 50% · $252K Management & general 50% · $256K Fundraising 0% · $109

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

6 people listed on the 990; $106K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$80,000Pt VII · Sec A
$25,833Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Danielle Hedlund’s $112K as CEO is at the 42nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $1–10M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Danielle Hedlund$111,974$107,858$80,000$15,000$5,500
Helen Maimaris$64,408$44,689$25,833$19,800—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Brink Literacy Project executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Empowers underserved communities worldwide through literacy programs and storytelling.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $252K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

The literary tarot engages people with literary classics and encourages community connection and dialogue through the intersection of tarot, art, and reading. Brink pulled together an all-star team of 78 beloved authors -including margaret atwood, stephen fry, roxane gay, patrick rothfuss, and celeste NG - who each paired one literary…

$203Kprogram expense
02

F(r)iction, Brinks triannual literary journal, is at the heart of our mission to increase literacy rates and engagement with storytelling that pushes the boundaries of convention. Drawing together the best works from our education programs and submissions, we pull more than 50% of the content in each issue from our slush pile, working…

$39Kprogram expense
03

Brinks publishing internship program seeks to bring underrepresented and diverse voices into the publishing industry itself. Through our fifteen week program, interns learn the essential ins and outs of the industry and become crucial contributors to the positive social change Brink affects every day.People Benefitted: 4 interns.

$9Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$240K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $7K · 2021–2021
Worldbuilders INCWI · FY2021$7,230

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$144K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$78K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$57K
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Money outPt IX
$508K
Ln 25
Programscol B$252K
Managementcol C$256K
Fundraisingcol D$109
Owns and owesPt X
$312K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$130K
Total assetsLn 16$623K
LiabilitiesLn 26$311K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$57K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$78K
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Total revenueLn 12$144K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$130K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$130K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$493K
Total assetsLn 16$623K
LiabilitiesLn 26$311K
Net assetsLn 32$312K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 633
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$773K$130K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$493K
Total assetsLn 16$773K$623K
LiabilitiesLn 26$75K$311K
Net assetsLn 32$698K$312K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Management feesLn 11a$193K$193K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Investment management feesLn 11f$3K$3K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$27K$27K
Office expensesLn 13$3K$3K
Information technologyLn 14$1K$1K
TravelLn 17$109$109
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$276K$252K$24K
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$508K$252K$256K$109

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $1.3M$927K$398K$887K 990 PDF
FY2023 $654K$624K$30K$493K 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $144K$508K−$364K$312K 990 PDF
FY2021 $747K$138K$609K$698K 990 PDF
FY2020 $187K$86K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $143,871 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $36,442$57,375
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $48,676$78,176
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $39$8,320
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $662,086$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $747,243$143,871
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $7,230$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $131,073$507,973
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $138,303$507,973
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $608,940−$364,102
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $143,871 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$57,375
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$57,375
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $78,176$78,176
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $8,320$8,320
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $86,496 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$143,871
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $507,973 across 9 lines filed
IX-11a Management feesManagement $193,383$193,383
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $2,312$2,312
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $2,950$2,950
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $27,103$27,103
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $2,890$2,890
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $1,437$1,437
IX-17 TravelFundraising $109$109
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $251,815 · Management $23,959$275,774
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $2,015$2,015
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $251,815 · Management $256,049 · Fundraising $109$507,973
Part X · Balance sheet $622,753 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $772,794$129,916
X-12 Other securities$492,837
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $772,794$622,753
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$557
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $74,900$310,500
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $74,900$311,057
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $697,894$311,696
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $697,894$311,696
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $772,794$622,753
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $311,696 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$143,871
XI-2 Total expenses$507,973
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$364,102
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$697,894
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$22,096
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$311,696

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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